CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF SNO2-BASED CERAMICS .2. EFFECT OF VARIOUS OXIDE ADDITIVES ON THE SINTERING CAPACITY AND ELECTRICAL-CONDUCTIVITY OF SNO2

The SnO2-based ceramic materials are interesting mainly as candidate materials for stable electrode construction for the aluminium electrolysis and other industrial applications. In all cases, a high density and electrical conductivity are imperative. It was found that the electrical conductivity is closely associated with the density of various oxide mixtures. The investigation into the influence of various oxide additives, namely Sb2O3, CuO, ZnO, La2O3, Cr2O3, Fe2O3, TiO2, MnO2 and MoO3, showed that only CuO increases the density of the composites. The addition of Sb2O3, which is claimed in the literature to increase the electrical conductivity, was found to be effective only in the presence of CuO. Based on the experimental results, the composite containing 2 mass % Sb2O3 and CuO was found to be best suited for the industrial utilization.